“The Day of Destiny”
from Morte D’Arthur by Sir Thomas Malory
A
nd quickly King Arthur moved himself with his army along the coastline westward, toward Salisbury. And there was a day assigned betwixt King Arthur and Sir Mordred that they should not meet upon a field beside Salisbury and not far from the coast. And this day so assigned as Monday after Trinity Sunday (the eighth Sunday after Easter), whereof King Arthur was passing glad that he might be avenged upon Sir Mordred.
So upon Trinity Sunday at night King Arthur dreamed a wonderful dream, and in his dream it seemed to him that he saw upon a platform a chair, and the chair was fast to a wheel, and thereupon sat King Arthur in the richest cloth of gold that might be made. And the King thought there was under him, far from him, and hideous deep black water, and therein was all manner of serpents, and worms, and wild beasts, foul and horrible. And suddenly the King thought that the wheel turned upside down, and he fell among the serpents, and every beast took him by a limb. And then the King cried as he lay in his bed, “Help, Help!”
And then knights, squires, and yeomen awaked the King, and then he was so amazed that he knew not where he was. And then so he awaked until it was night day, and then he fell on slumbering again, not sleeping nor thoroughly waking. So it seemed to the King that there came Sir Gawain unto him with a number of fair ladies with him. So when King Arthur saw him, he said, “Welcome, my sister’s son. I weened ye had been dead. And now I see thee on – live, much am I beholden unto Almighty Jesu. Ah, fair nephew and my sister’s son, what been these ladies that hither be come with you?”
“Sir,” said Sir Gawain, “all these be ladies for whom I have fought for when I was man living. And all these are those that I did battle for in righteous quarrels, and God had given them that grace, at their great prayer, because I did battle for them for their right, that they should bring me hither unto you . Thus much had given leave God, for to warn you of your death. If you fight tomorrow with Sir Modred, as ye both have assigned, doubt ye not ye must be slain, and the most party of your people on both parties. And for the great grace And goodness that Almighty Jesu had unto you, and for pity of you and many more other good men there shall be slain, God had sent me to you of his special grace to give you warning that in no wise ye do battle as tomorn, but that ye take a treaty fora month from today. And you make generous offers , so that tomorn ye put in a delay. For within a month shall come Sir Lancelot with all his noble knights and rescue you worshipfully and slay Sir Modred and all that ever will hold with him.”
Then Sir Gawain and all the ladies vanished. And anon the King called upon his knights, squires, and yeomen, and charged them quickly to fetch his noble lords and wise bishops unto him. And when they were come the King told them of his dream, that Sir Gawain had told him and warned him that, and he fought on the morn, he should be slain. Then the King commanded Sir Lucan the Butler and his brother Sir Bedivere the Bold, with two bishops with them, and charged them in any wise to take a treaty for a month from today with Sir Modred. “And spare not: proffer him lands and goods as much as ye think reasonable.”
So then they departed and came to Sir Modred where he had a grim host of a hundred thousand, and there they entreated Sir Modred long time. And at the last Sir Modred was agreed for to have Cornwall and Kent by King Arthur’s days, and after that, all England, after the days of King Arthur.
Then they ageed that King Arthur and Sir Modred should meet betwixt both their hosts, and each of them should bring fourteen persons. And so they came with this word unto Arthur. Then said he, “I am glad that this is done,” so he went into the field.
